housing crisis and income tax in florida

February 4, 2011 2:29 PM

Article (very possibly by Matt Taibbi) dealing with the housing crisis and how it affected Florida's state revenues.

All I can remember is that it discusses how Florida was taking in most of its revenue directly or indirectly from the housing boom and how when that market tanked it was awful for the state.

Ring a bell for anyone? Like I said, likely a Matt Taibbi piece, although I'm having a hell of a time finding anything online, and it wasn't in his piece about Rocket Dockets in Florida.

posted by fso to Writing & Language (5 answers total)

I remember reading something similar to what you're describing a while ago, but it was in either Harper's or the New Yorker, and not by Taibbi.

After reviewing Harper's, it might be "Paradise Swamped" by Paul Reyes from August, 2010.
posted by LionIndex at 5:22 PM on February 4, 2011

Best answer: Was it George Packer's "The Ponzi State: Florida's Foreclosure Disaster"? Sorry, link is abstract only; it appeared in the Feb. 9, 2009 issue. Related update from Packer.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:48 PM on February 4, 2011

Best answer: Packer's article in .pdf form, very much not from the New Yorker site.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:08 PM on February 4, 2011

Invasion of the Home Snatchers?
posted by ijoyner at 7:41 PM on February 4, 2011

Response by poster: Yes, it was absolutely The Ponzi State. Thanks!! This has been killing me. My millionaire Republican uncle has been gloating about how great it is in Florida without income taxes and my mother wanted a comeback. I remembered reading this piece but couldn't direct her to it for the life of me. Big brownie points coming my way!
posted by fso at 6:03 AM on February 5, 2011